Chapter 109: Voluntary Withdrawal
Another burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.
With a full thirty minutes remaining until the competition's end, while other contestants were still struggling to complete their work, Isabella could use this time to thoroughly review and polish her creation.
It was clear that whatever she submitted as her final piece would not disappoint.
William's spine stiffened slightly.
As the applause gradually died down, he caught fragments of conversation from the audience behind him.
"I thought Infinity Ventures Corporation just sent some eye candy who couldn't actually deliver, but turns out she's got real talent!"
"We haven't seen the final product yet, but judging by the technical details alone, you can tell her submission is going to be impressive!"
Of course, praise always comes with criticism.
William heard someone nearby scoff dismissively.
"Who knows if she's just going through the motions? Maybe she knows she can't win, so she's rushing through just to submit something. We've seen this before—competitions aren't about speed, it's quality that matters in the end!"
The first speaker shot back, clearly irritated.
"Did you even watch? Based on my years in the industry, her rendering precision is absolutely the highest among all the contestants on stage! Even Summit Holdings Corporation's animation team—last year's champions—couldn't produce effects this sophisticated!"
William's eyes narrowed slightly.
The animation division was just one of many subsidiaries under Summit Holdings Corporation's umbrella, and while William didn't personally oversee that particular business, as an investor he'd been involved in several animation projects.
He'd worked with the country's top rendering specialists and could now form a rough assessment of Isabella's work today.
Whether she'd claim the championship remained uncertain, but among the contestants present, Isabella's abilities were undeniably among the very best.
His heart skipped a beat. With reality staring him in the face, William was forced to see Isabella in a completely new light.
It also made him wonder—had he truly overlooked her so thoroughly all these years?
Just as Richard had said, he really didn't know this woman who'd been his wife for six years.
"I told you—as long as she's standing there, she'll be the center of the stage!"
Richard had remained composed throughout, and he'd keenly sensed the subtle shift in William's demeanor.
Honestly, Richard was finding this somewhat satisfying.
The woman standing on that stage was the same one William had discarded like trash, the one he'd mocked and belittled time and again.
She hadn't let anyone down, using her skill to force William to see her worth.
Hearing Richard's provocation, William's face darkened like storm clouds, but he said nothing, simply staring silently at the competition floor, waiting for the final answer.
In the real-time voting rankings, Isabella's Infinity Ventures Corporation had climbed another position, settling firmly into second place.
About a thousand votes separated her from first place.
With fifteen minutes left on the countdown, Isabella had completed all her review work. She sat before her computer, taking one final look at her creation.
The countdown timer echoed through the venue, heightening everyone's tension as they cheered for the contestants on stage.
The massive floating timer slowly reached zero, and at the host's signal, all contestants stood up.
The most heart-stopping moment of the competition was just beginning.
Isabella took a deep breath and, following the host's guidance, joined the other contestants as they moved to the prepared seating area on one side of the stage.
"As we all witnessed, today's competition was silent but absolutely electrifying. The skill level of every contestant here today is beyond question."
The host, microphone in hand, sat at the far end, preparing to begin the post-competition interviews.
"We'll shortly be reviewing each contestant's work publicly and uploading all submissions online for viewer voting."
As this year's top championship favorite, Summit Holdings Corporation's representative was interviewed first.
However, Jane Clark's face bore only a strained smile, her nervousness so evident she hadn't even wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"This year's format was definitely surprising. I didn't expect the time to be cut in half. I ended up rushing through the final portions, and honestly, I don't know if I'll achieve the ranking I was hoping for."
The host feigned surprise: "Even our reigning champion found today's format extremely challenging—this really was an intense competition!"
"Everyone just witnessed us being joined by a dark horse who was also the first contestant to complete her work. Ms. Capulet, I understand this is your first time competing, and I hear you're not actually a professional renderer?"
Facing the microphone and cameras, Isabella remained perfectly composed. "That's correct. My primary role is Chief Researcher in Infinity Ventures Corporation's flying car laboratory."
Knowing this was being livestreamed, Isabella deliberately mentioned Infinity Ventures Corporation's flying car project for the cameras.
Even if she didn't place well, getting Richard some free publicity would be worthwhile.
The host covered her mouth and laughed. "Are you confident about today's competition?"
"I'm very confident in my work, though aesthetics are subjective. Whether the audience will appreciate it—well, that's beyond my control."
The post-competition interviews concluded quickly, and the backstage crew had prepared all contestants' submissions, ready to display them in order starting with contestant number one.
Isabella looked up, appreciating everyone's work.
These were the country's top rendering specialists, and despite the time pressure at the end, their submissions remained undeniably world-class.
Just as they finished viewing all the work and the host was about to announce the start of final voting, Jane—currently in first place—suddenly stood up.
Her face was completely pale, her lips trembling slightly.
No one on stage had expected someone to interrupt the proceedings.
Just as the host was about to ask what was wrong, Jane spoke up on her own.
"I'm voluntarily withdrawing from the final evaluation of this competition!"
Her words sent shockwaves through the venue.
Even after viewing all the submissions, Jane still led Isabella by over five hundred votes.
As long as she maintained her advantage during the final voting phase, she could still claim this year's championship.
But at this crucial moment, her tightly wound composure suddenly snapped, leaving everyone stunned.
"I never entered this competition to win anyway. This so-called championship—whoever wants it can have it! I don't care!"
Jane turned, looking pointedly at Isabella from across the stage.